Embarcadero Tool Targets 'Real' Native App Development

Embarcadero Technologies this week announced a tool aimed at helping developers more easily build native apps for different devices such as PCs, tablets and smartphones.

Called RAD Studio XE4, the development suite reportedly allows for the creation of "true native" apps, described by the company as comprising compiled source code that creates a binary to run directly on the CPU, as opposed to scripting and other solutions that need an interpreter to produce machine code.

"They give developers more control, tighter security and a better user experience," the company said in a statement. "Many multi-device solutions today rely on virtual implementations or are interpreted at run time and are not true native apps."

Embarcadero said the new product lets developers target ARM and Intel devices such as Apple iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches, along with Slates and Surface Pro tablets and standard Mac computers and Windows PCs, with Android support planned.

Besides allowing multi-device development of script-free, "true native" apps by one team using one codebase, the company said RAD Studio XE4 features rapid, on-device prototyping. "Developers or designers can quickly create no-code, visual mockups with live or simulated data and deploy to actual target devices (PC, phone, tablet) or simulate on Windows or Mac," the company said.

Key features of the tool listed by the company include:

A visual designer for Mac (and iOS) and Windows UIs with different types of devices, resolutions and orientations.

Support for local databases such as SQLite, IBLite and InterBase Embedded ToGo.

Connectivity to standard databases such as SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, IBM DB2 and more, along with Windows Azure, Amazon Web Services and REST and SOAP services, among others.